Fire-extinguishing system



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E. W. THOMAS. l

PIRE BXTINGUISHING SYSTEM.

No. 570,689. Patented Nov.. 3, 1896.

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y 2 sheets-sheet 2'. i E. w. THOMAS. 'a FIRE EXTINGUISHING SYSTEM. No; 570,689. Patented Nov. 3, 1896.

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UNITED STATES EDVARD W. THOMAS, OF

' PATENT OEEICE.

LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

FIRE-EXTINGUISHING SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 570,689, dated November 3, 1896.

Application filed August 7, 1893. VSerial No. 482,557. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD W. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Extinguishing Systems, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The usual nre-extinguishing system of a mill or the like comprises a stand-pipel in communication with a water-main, horizontal pipes or leaders in communication with the stand-pipe, there being one such horizontal pipe for each story ofthe mill, discharge-pipes extending at intervals from each horizontal pipe or leader, the said discharge-pipes being located adjacent to the ceilings of the respective stories, and automatic extinguishers or distributers applied to the discharge-pipes. The said automatic extinguishers or distributers, as is well known, are arranged to be opened or unsealed by the action of the heat occasioned by aiire, so as that whenever a re breaks out they are enabled to permit the escape of the water which is contained in the pipes. A valve is provided for controlling the supply of water to the stand-pipe from the main, this valve normally being left open. Other valves usually are omitted from the system in order to guard against the system being rendered inoperative or useless in whole or in part at the outbreak of a fire in consequ ence of the closing of such valves. Experi- Vence has shown that the'valves are liable to be left closed through oversight after having at some time been closed for anecessary purpose or to be closed through misunderstanding or through mistake resulting from excitement prevailing at the time of a fire. The supplycontrolling valve is located in the lower part of the stand-pipe or in the connections between the main and the stand pipe. A disadvantage of the ordinaryiire-extinguishingsystem is the fact that after a small re has been extinguished by the outow of water from one or more extinguishers which have become unsealed a considerable volume of water unnecessarily escapes before the iiow from the said unsealed extinguishers can be stopped. This results in increased damage by the water and an additional loss. Often more injury is occasioned by the water which escapes after the vfire is extinguished than occurs during the continuance of the iire and as a result of the latter. The extinguishers are constructed in such manner usually and are so locatedv in the mill as to render it practically impossible to choke or plug them so as to stop the escape of water after they have been unsealed. Hence the supply-controlling valve must be closed in order to shut off the flow of water from the main. As will be obvious, some time necessarily is consumed in sending word or going from the point where the fire occurred to the point at which the supply-controllingvalve is located, in order that the said valve may be closed. Moreover, even after the said valve is closed much water continues to escape in cases where the fire has occurred on one of the lower stories of a mill. The water in this case after the closing of the valve drains from the more elevated pipes through the unsealed ex tinguisher or extinguishers until all the pipes in the stories above that of the fire have be# come emptied.

The leading objects of my present invention are to provide means for enabling unnecessary loss from water, such as aforesaid, to be avoided, and also at the same time to afford a safeguard against interference with the efficiency of the fire-extinguishing system. I accomnow proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawings, after which the invention will be particularly pointed out, and more clearly defined in the claims at the close of this specification.

Figure l of the drawings is a general view, partly in vertical section,'showing part of a building equipped with a fire-extinguishing system of usual character, and also indicating the application of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a part of the said system. Fig. 3 is a View in vertical section, on an enlarged scale, illustrating details of the invention.

At 1 (see' Fig. l) is a pipe leading from a street or other main. At 2, Figs. 1 and 2, is a stand-pipe with which pipe l connects.

, At 4 i i are horizontal pipes or leaders .in communication with the stand-pi pe, there being one such pipe et for each'story, and at 5 5 5 are discharge-pipes communicating with plish these objects in the manner which I will v IOO pipes 4 4 4 and located near the ceilings of the respective stories, these pipes being placed at intervals apart on each story and provided with extinguishers G G 6 of suitable or known construction.

At 7 is a supply-controlling valve, which in Fig. 1 is shown placed in the lower portion of the stand-pipe 2 within the building.

All of the foregoing parts are as usual, and may be of any suitable construction and arrangement..

IVith the object in view of enabling the unnecessary loss by water, hereinbefore referred to, to be avoided I provide valves which control the communication between the individual discharge-pipes and the leaders, whereby, by operating the said valves as and when required, the flow of water from the leader into one or more particular discharge-pipes may be arrested. These valves are intended to stand open normally, in order that the iireextinguishing system may act promptly in case of a tire, and in order that none of them may be closed without the fact being observed, I so construct and arrange the parts connected with the moving parts of the valves as that the position of the same shall be plainly indicated by conspicuous visual signals.

In the drawings I have shown each discharge-pipe 5 connected with the corresponding leader 4 by means of a short vertical pipe 8, the pipes 5 and S being joined to each other by means of a T-connection 9, into the vertical arm of which the upper end of the pipe S is fitted, while the proximate end of dischargepipe 5 is fitted to one of the horizontal arms of the said-connection. Into the other one of the said horizontal arms of the connection 9 is screwed the head or gland 10, through a central hole in which passes the rod 11, connected with the disk 12, that is contained in the valve-chamber 13, formed in the connection 9. At opposite ends of the valve-chamber 13 are provided the valve-seats 14 15. By preference both of the edges of the valvedisk 12 are beveled as in Fig. 3, and the valveseats 14 and 15 are inclined so as to fit the said beveled edges. The outer side Vor" the head or gland 10 is formed with a screwthreaded recess, as shown clearly in Fig. 3, for lthe reception of the packing 16 and packing-nut 17. For the purpose of operating the valves by hand, I provide the levers 1S, one lever bein gapplied to each valve. The levers 'are suitably pivoted at their upper ends, and their lower ends extend down into position to be conveniently grasped and moved by hand. In the drawings (see particularly Fig. 3) I have shown each lever pivoted to a lug on a stand or bracket 19, which is aiiixed to the ceiling adjacent to the valve which is to be operated thereby. Suitable connections are provided between the lever and the valve-stem l1. Fig. 3 shows the lever provided with a slot 20, in 'which fits la pin 21, carried by the valve-stem. The said figure also shows the said stem slotted vertically at 111, with lever 18 passing through the slot 111.

The positions normally occupied by the movable part of the valve and by the lever 1b are indicated by the full lines in Figs. 1 and The disk 12 is shown in full lines in Fig. 3 bearing against the valve-seat 15 at the outer end of the valve-chamber 13, the valve being open y for the passage of water into the pipe 5. When it is sought to close the valve, the disk 12 is moved into contact with valve-seat 14, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, by moving lever 18 from the fullline position into the dotted-line position indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. I provide eectively for holding the valve in either its open or its closed condition, accordingly as it may be set, by locating the valve-seats 14 and 15 at opposite sides of the-inlet 131 for the water. W'ith this location of the valve-seats it follows that when the disk 12 is moved by hand in either direction past the center of inlet 131 the pressure of the water entering the valve-chamber through the said inlet 131 will operate to force the disk against the adjacent valve-seat, and thus will retain the disk in whichever of the two positions it maybe placed by moving lever 18 by hand, the said pressure bearing the disk 12 into close contact with the valve-seatat the end of the valve-chamber, toward which it has been shifted by thus moving the lever, and maintaining such contact. This Will be plainly apparent from Fig. 3. The lever 18 constitutes a convenient handle for operating the valve. The arrangement is such that when the valve is closed the lever is back in fullline position close to the adjacent wall of the building, and also that the movement which closes the valve carries the free end of theV lever out into the room, the extent of the movement being sufficient to place the lever in a conspicuous position. Shouldany one or more of the levers arranged in connection with the leader -4 on a given story of the building be shifted, either by 'accident or design, so as to close the valve or valves operated thereby, the changed and prominent position of the said lever or levers will attract attention.

My invention is not restricted to the precise details oi' construction and arrangement therein shown and described. Furthermore, in lien of the lever 18, Imay employ some other and equivalent valve-operating device, which when operated to Iclose the valve will occupy a similar projected and conspicuous position, constituting a noticeable Vvisual signal.

I claim as my invention#- 1. The combination with a fire-extinguishing system of connected pipes'includin'g horizontal leaders having applied thereto discharge-pipes equipped with automatic extin- IOO IIO

guishers, of individual valves controlling "the Y 'communicationbetween the leaders andthe valves having a chamber with valve-seats inlet, and a disk movable past the inlet and adapted to be held by the Water-pressure in contact with each of said seats according to the position into which it is shifted, and levers for moving the respective disks occupying conspicuous positions When the valves are closed and thereby signaling theY closed condition of the valves, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

EDVARD W. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

JAMES STUART MURPHY, CLARA L. CUTLER. 

